Memorial Day 2009.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are over two dozen cities and towns that lay claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War. A hymn published in 1867 "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead." (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). But Waterloo, N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966.

However Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was proclaimed in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on May 30, 1868. At this point flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971).

God Bless the USA and those that have fought, and still bravely fight preserve our safety. Lets put the attention where it should be the Memorial Day. Lets forget all that is wrong with us, and be thankful to these great men and women.

Prayer.......What Prayer?

Today President Obama decided that he was going to put some distance between himself and "PRAYER." The Obama White House announced today that the President was doing away with a early morning service, and not attending a large Catholic prayer breakfast the next morning. The only action that will be taken by Comrade Obama will be to sign a proclamation honoring the day, which was started in 1952 when Congress set aside the first Thursday in May for the observance.

For 8 years former President Bush invited Christian and Jewish leaders to the White House East Room, where a short speech would be given and several leaders would say a prayer. Press secretary Robert Gibbs said yesterday that the president is simply "reverting back to pre-Bush administration practice." "Prayer is something that the president does every day, We're doing a proclamation, which I know that many administrations in the past have done."

Now correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to recall the last address to the nation ending with "God bless America." This administration doesn't want to associate itself with anything that could be considered right wing, but that can't be because Obama's the great uniter. Yet the country grows more polarized. If you listen to the daily news cycle and the Obama administration versions of whats going on in the world, one would agree that if we need anything it's prayer. Yet in a time of need, in a time of recovery, in this time of unrest with our enemies in the world, our leader turns his back publicly to prayer? Obama will fly all around the world to apologize for our greatness, shake hands and rub elbows with dictators, but puts the breaks on when it comes to prayer. No matter how it's spun, and it will be spun in about a million directions, Obama showed his true character with this decision.

I heard this question today and you can let me know what you think, "The say President Obama prays privately. I won't doubt that! But does he pray to himself?"

Health Industry: In the Lib Crosshairs.

For all the chat we heard during the campaign, after all the protests and demonstrations finally the reality of the "single payer" system is scarily close. To put it clearly the single payer system is one in which the federal government is the only 'payer' to doctors, hospitals and other health care providers with no existing private insurance companies or competitors. Simply put it is the main foundation of 'universal Health Care. The reason I bring this up, the reason I point out these latter points, is because this is what Pres. Obama promises will not happen. Candidate and President Obama often told audiences that if they like their insurance provider, and doctor nothing would change for them under his plan. The Presidents health care proposal is a very significant down payment on a single payer system, not to mention the fastest way to push out private insurers, thus placing the government between you and your doctor. This was clearly stated this past month when Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) admitted that the Obama health plan would force out private insurance companies. (Video link A) In her speech she describes a conversation that she had with an insurance industry representative. She says: " I said, excuse me sir, the goal of health care reform is not to protect the private health insurance industry." She goes on to add: "I am so confident in the superiority of a public health care option, that he has every reason to be frightened." That sounds an awful lot like President Obama when he spoke to the AFL-CIO in 2003 where he said "I happen to be a proponent of the single payer, universal health care plan." (Video link B) Perhaps the President dropped this stance as he moved on in his political career. However, I seem to recall the First Lady sayings during the campaign: "The truth is, in order to get things like universal health care and a revamped education system, then someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more."

Now we see where millions of jobs could be lost in private insurance companies, and where the people that can't balance a budget want to now handle your health care. Lets just look at the brilliant resume of the single payer system. We can do this by looking at the success of the two current models that the libs in our country brag about, the UK and Canadian health system.

Current models of the single payer system:

*Produce long waits, and reduced quality. According to current models there are over 800,000 people waiting for hospital care in the U.K. In Canada the wait between a general practitioners referral and consultation with a specialist has been an average of 17+ weeks.

*Produce limited treatments, and discrimination in the provision of care.

*Price controls do provide reduced drug prices, but also reduce the availability of updated technology, as well as R&D for new medical devices.

*Price controls result in funding crises. Since the individual doesn't pay the direct costs of treatment, demand expands. The government has to control costs, and starts to ration products and services. Which in turn leads to the retention outdated facilities and equipment. (Ex. In Canada 60% of radiological equipment is outdated.) Dr. Kevin Fleming: High Price Pain. 9/22/2006

*Single payer system creates new inequalities, such as limitations on surgeries for the elderly and care for premature babies.

*Single payer system fosters labor strikes and personnel shortages. In 2004 a Canadian strike British Columbia resulted in the cancellation of 5300 surgeries, numerous MRIs and CAT scans. In the UK they have a large problem recruiting and retaining doctors. (Why work if you don't get paid?)

My thought would be if the UK and Canadian health system was so great why are so many of them coming here for medical treatments?